Telephone apparatus providing calling party identification

Abstract: A telephone apparatus includes a decoder, a memory, a comparison circuit and an output device. The decoder serves to detect telephone number information of a calling side which is transmitted together with bell signals through a telephone line to decode the telephone number information. The memory is stored with telephone number data of call sides in correspondence with plural operation keys, respectively. The comparison circuit serves to compare the output data of the decoder with the telephone number data stored in the memory when a call is received. When any coincidence is detected between the output data of the decoder and the telephone number data of the memory on the basis of the comparison result of the comparison circuit, the output device notifies an user that the call corresponds to one of the telephone number data stored in the memory. The output device includes plural display (indication) units which are respectively provided in correspondence with the plural operation keys, and a driving control circuit for selectively driving the display unit of the operation key corresponding to the coincident telephone number data on the basis of the comparison result. Alternately, the output device may include audio data memory in which names of call sides corresponding to the telephone number data stored in the memory are stored as audio data in correspondence with the operation keys, an electro-acoustic transducer to which the audio data read out from the audio data memory are supplied, and a controller for reading out the audio data corresponding to the coincident telephone number data from the audio data memory and outputting (reproducing) the audio data from the electro-acoustic transducer on the basis of the comparison result.

Description: The present invention relates to a telephone apparatus. More particularly the present invention relates to a telephone apparatus having the capability of supplying a reception (called) side with information regarding a calling (transmitting) side such as telephone number information. A telephone service which is called as "Call Display" inserts the telephone number of a calling (transmitting) side between bell signals for reception of a call and transmits the data to a reception (called) side has widely propagated in the USA and Canada. FIGS. 1A and 1B of the accompanying drawings are diagrams showing a time chart and the format of the reception bell signals transmitted to the reception side. In this Call Display telephone service, modem data containing information regarding the telephone number of a calling side is inserted between first and second bell signals as shown in FIG. 1A. A bell signal is used to ring the bell of a telephone at the reception side, and it includes, for example, a 20 Hz signal which is continuous for two seconds (corresponding to one bell sound). The modem data having data length corresponding to four seconds is inserted after 0.5 second elapses subsequent to the first bell signal. Further, a second bell signal is continuously generated for two seconds after 0.5 second elapses subsequent to the modem data. Subsequently, the similar bell signals, each continuous for two seconds, are transmitted at intervals of 5 seconds until an user at the reception side answers the call. The modem data is inserted only between the first and second bell signals. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1B, the modem data includes a synchronizing signal composing of a repetition of "1", "0" which are alternately repeated over 240 bits at the head of the modem data, and subsequently a signal having a train of "1" (mark) each continuing for 25 msec over 150 msec. This signal is used to identify the head of the data. The modem data finally includes information on month, date, hour, minute and telephone number. These information on month, date, hour, minute and telephone number are respectively set with 144 bits in U. S. A., and with about 250 bits in Canada. For these modem data, biphase marks codes (mark = "1" = 2200 Hz, space = "0" = 1200 Hz" are transmitted at 1200 baud. These are defined as a Bell 202 standard. According to this telephone service, by decoding the modem data located between the first and second bell signals, the telephone number of a calling side can be detected before a reception side receives and answers the phone from the calling side. In a conventional telephone apparatus, the telephone number of the calling side which is obtained by decoding the modem data as described above is displayed on a display unit such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Except for a case where the telephone number of the calling side is well known by the user, it is general that the user cannot immediately identify a calling side on the basis of the telephone number of the calling side even when the telephone number is displayed on the display unit. Accordingly, in addition to the Call Display telephone service, some companies have offered a service called "Name Display". In the Name Display telephone service, the name of a telephone subscriber is transmitted together with information on the telephone number thereof between the reception bell signals. However, in order to perform the Name Display telephone service, there are various overheads such as the need to install a new switchboard, etc. imposed on a telephone office side, and thus this service has not been widely adopted as yet. A technique for enabling the display of names of calling sides using only the Call Display telephone service has been previously proposed in US Patent No. 4,924,496, for example. According to this technique, a telephone apparatus is equipped with a dictionary memory in which the telephone numbers of various calling parties and the corresponding names of the calling parties can be registered beforehand. In this telephone apparatus, the transmitted information regarding a caller's telephone number is decoded on the basis of the Call Display telephone service to compare the telephone number data with each of the registered telephone numbers read out from the dictionary memory, and if any telephone number is coincident with the transmitted telephone number data, the name data of the coincident telephone number is read out and displayed on a display unit such as an LCD in alphabet characters. However, in the technique as described above, an user is required to beforehand prepare a dictionary memory containing name data corresponding the telephone numbers of calling parties. That is, it is necessary that the user carries out a key manipulation of inputting these names and registering the names in correspondence with the telephone numbers. This manipulation is very cumbersome and imposes unfavorable burdens on the user. Further, this telephone service must use a display unit having an alphabetical-letter displaying function, and it is expensive. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a telephone apparatus which resolves the above-mentioned problem. Further previous proposals have been disclosed as follows: US-A-4,817,133 describes a telephone which can either operate normally or be put on a special setting. In the special setting a caller is asked to enter his telephone number. The number is sent over the telephone and it is compared with telephone numbers held in a quick-dial memory. When the caller's number is coincident with a number in memory, the telephone rings (and a light beside a quick-dial button flashes). Otherwise the call is rejected. If coincidence is found then the ringing tone is different from the ringing tone used in normal use of the telephone. EP-A-0,432,746 describes a telephone system in which the telephone number of an incoming call is compared with telephone numbers held in a quick-dial memory and used for quick-dial. If a number is recognized by this comparison, then a light beside the appropriate quick-dial button is illuminated. US-A-4,894,861 describes a telephone which compares an incoming call number with numbers held in a memory. If the incoming call number is recognized, then the name and number are both displayed and turned into audio data for play through a speaker. According to the present invention, there is provided a telephone apparatus comprising: decode means for detecting information on the telephone number of a calling side transmitted through a telephone line and decoding the telephone number information; memory means in which telephone number data of calling sides are stored in correspondence with plural respective operation keys; electro-acoustic transducing means; and comparison means for reading out the telephone number data from said memory means and comparing the read-out telephone number data with the telephone number data decoded by said decode means when a call is received through the telephone line and the telephone number information of the calling side is detected; characterized by further comprising: recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing as audio data names of call sides corresponding to the telephone number data stored in said memory means in correspondence with each of said plural operation keys; and control means for controlling said recording and reproducing means so that when said comparison means detects any coincidence between the telephone number data stored in said memory means and the telephone number data decoded by said decode means, the audio data for the name of the calling side corresponding to the coincidence-detected telephone number data is reproduced and output to said electro-acoustic transducing means. The invention will be further described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a time chart and a format of the reception bell signals transmitted to the reception side; FIG. 2 shows an outline of an operation panel of an embodiment of a telephone apparatus according to this invention; FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the embodiment of the telephone apparatus according to this invention; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the construction of a main part of an example of a telephone apparatus; FIG. 5 is a flowchart for the operation of the main part of the apparatus of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is another flowchart for operation of the main part of the apparatus of FIG. 4; FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the telephone apparatus according to this invention; and FIG. 8 is a flowchart for the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 7. Preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be hereunder described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 shows the outline of an embodiment of the telephone apparatus according to this invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 represents a main body of the telephone apparatus, reference numeral 2 represents a hand set, reference numeral 3 represents a numeric key for inputting a telephone number, etc., and reference numeral 4 represents a display unit for displaying the input telephone number, a time, etc. The display unit 4 is composed of an LCD, for example. Reference numeral 10 represents a one-touch operation portion, and it is provided with plural one-touch keys 5 and a name plate 6 for indicating the names of call sides (those which will call or be called to the user through a telephone line). The term "call side" in this specification means a called side (a receiver) when the user of this apparatus is a calling side (transmitter), and it means a calling side (transmitter) when the user of this apparatus is a called side (receiver). The call sides are registered in correspondence with the respective one-touch keys 5. In this embodiment, 16 one-touch keys are provided, and the names of the registered call sides are written on the name plate in correspondence with the respective one-touch keys 5 by user's hand-writing or other means. It is well known that a one-touch dial registration is carried out by pushing a one-touch key, inputting the telephone number of a call side and then pushing a prescribed enter key. Through this operation, the telephone numbers of call sides are stored in a memory in correspondence with the respective one-touch keys 5. Upon pushing a one-touch key 5, the telephone number of a call side which corresponds to the pushed one-touch key 5 is read out from the memory, and an automatic dialing is performed. That is, the dialing of the telephone number can be performed by merely pushing the one-touch key without full dialing. In this case, the telephone number of the call side is displayed on the display unit 4. In this embodiment, the one-touch keys 5 and a name-writing area in which the names are hand-written are provided. Therefore, in order to indicate (identify) a call side, LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) 7 are provided for the respective one-touch keys 5 in the vicinity of the name-writing area. Upon pushing a one-touch key 5, the corresponding LED 7 is turned on, and the name of a call side can be confirmed by looking at the name plate 6. In addition, the telephone number of the call side is displayed on the display unit 4, and the call side can be further reconfirmed. The above operation is substantially identical to that of a general telephone apparatus except for the LEDs 7 serving as the display device. However, the telephone apparatus of this embodiment is different from the general telephone apparatus as follows. That is, when information on the telephone number of a calling side which is contained between first and second bell signals in transmitted modem data is detected at a call reception time, the information on the telephone number (telephone number data) is decoded. The decoded telephone number data is compared with the telephone number data which are stored in correspondence with the respective one-touch keys 5 in the memory. If there is any coincident telephone number data, the LED 7 located near to the one-touch key 5 for which the coincident telephone number is registered as a one-touch dial is turned on and off in accordance with the bell signals. Accordingly, at the call reception time, when a calling side is one of call sides whose telephone numbers are registered in accordance with the one-touch keys, the name-writing area on the name plate is indicated by the LED 7. As a result, the user or called side can easily identify the name of the calling side on the basis of the name-writing area. It is generally adopted for a conventional telephone apparatus that an user writes the names of call sides on a name plate for the one-touch registration, and thus in this embodiment no surplus and cumbersome operation for the Call Display is not required to the user. In addition, the name-writing on the name plate is performed by the user, and thus the user can write names other than subscribers registered in a telephone office. That is, when a person who actually uses a telephone at a calling side is different from the subscriber of the telephone which is registered in a telephone office, the user can directly write the name of the person on the name plate. For example, when the name of a father is registered as a subscriber, but his daughter actually uses the telephone of the subscriber and calls the user with the telephone, it is of no use to display the name of the subscriber on a display unit utilizing the Name Display telephone service. However, according to this invention, the user can freely write the name of any person on the name plate, and the names of persons other than subscribers whom the user well knows can be indicated. These are very convenient for the user. Next, the circuit construction of a telephone apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 through 6. This apparatus by itself does not embody the invention, but it is described to assist understanding of the present invention. Features of this example can be used with the present invention and are given the same reference numbers. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing the telephone apparatus, and this telephone apparatus is implemented by an IC technique. In FIG. 3, L1 and L2 represent a telephone line, and are connected to a modular jack 11 provided to the telephone apparatus. Each of reference numerals 12, 13 and 14 represents a bridge circuit. Reference numeral 15 represents a ringer circuit composed of an integrated circuit (IC); reference numeral 16 denotes a demodulator composed of an IC; reference numeral 18 denotes a speech circuit composed of an IC; and reference numeral 19 denotes a DC power source. Reference numeral 100 represents a microcomputer, and the microcomputer 100 is connected to the LCD display unit 4, a one-touch LED group 22 including plural LEDs which are provided in correspondence with the respective one-touch keys 5 as shown in FIG. 2, and an operation key group 23 including the one-touch keys 5, the numeral key 3 and the other keys. The LED group 22 is designed in a matrix form. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, the microcomputer 100 is designed to be reset by a rest circuit 24 which is actuated in accordance with a hook switch HK. Reference numeral 25 represents a bell sound tone switching circuit for altering bell sound tone. The microcomputer 100 includes a one-touch memory for storing telephone numbers which are registered in correspondence with the respective plural one-touch keys 5, and a telephone number for storing the telephone number of a calling side which is transmitted through the telephone lines L1 and L2. A work area of a so-called work RAM is usable for these memories. At a time when reception bell signals arrive at the reception side through the telephone lines L1 and L2, the ringer circuit 15 is actuated to drive a bell 26 in accordance with the bell signals. Reference numeral 27 is a circuit for adjusting the sound volume of the bell, and in FIG. 3 the circuit 27 is switched to a state where no bell sound is produced. When modem data are transmitted between first and second reception bell signals, the data are detected and demodulated by the demodulator 16. The demodulated data containing the telephone number information of the calling side are input to the microcomputer 100. The demodulator 16 also detects the reception bell signals, and supplies ring signals as a reception detection signal to the microcomputer 100. The microcomputer 100 decodes the telephone number data, etc. from the demodulated output signal of the demodulator 16, and transmits the decoded output signal thereof to an LCD display circuit 21. Through this operation, the telephone number of the calling side, etc. are displayed on the display unit 4. As described later, the microcomputer 100 also serves to successively compare the telephone number data obtained by decoding the demodulated output signal of the demodulator 16 with the telephone number data stored in the one-touch memory. If any coincident telephone number data is detected on the basis of the comparison result, the microcomputer 100 controls the driving of the one-touch LED group 22 so that the LED for the coincident telephone number is turned on and off. At the same time, if any coincident telephone number data exists, for the purpose of making the user to perceive, with sound, that the received call is made by an acquaintance which is registered for a one-touch key, the microcomputer 100 drives the sound tone switching circuit 25 and controls the ringer circuit 15 to alter the sound tone of reproduced sound of the bell 26. If no coincident telephone number data is detected, the telephone number data obtained by decoding the demodulated signal from the demodulator 16 are supplied to the LCD display circuit 21 to display the received telephone number on the display unit 4. When the user picks up the hand set 2 in response to the call reception, the hook switch HK is turned on, and the microcomputer 100 detects the turn-on of the hook switch HK. The microcomputer 100 transmits a control signal to the speech circuit 18 to enable a telephonic communication with the calling side. When the telephonic communication is finished and the hand set 2 is returned to its original state, the hook switch HK is turned off again, and the reset circuit 24 is actuated to reset the microcomputer 100 to its original state. When a transmission is made by operating a one-touch key 5 or performing a dialing with the numeral key 3, the microcomputer 100 transmits a dial signal for the telephone number of a calling side to the circuits L1 and L2 through a dial pulse circuit 17. Next, the operation of a main part of this example will be described in more detail with reference to a block diagram of FIG. 4. At the call reception time, the bell circuit 150 is actuated by the first bell signal, so that the bell 26 rings to produce normal bell sound. A reception and telephone number detecting circuit 160 containing the demodulator 16 and a part of the microcomputer 100 detects the call reception, and transmits a detection signal to the communication circuit 180. When modem data are transmitted between the first and second bell signals, the detecting circuit 160 demodulates the modem data, and decodes the telephone number data and other information. The decoded telephone number data is written into a telephone number memory 101 provided to the microcomputer 100. At this time, in response to a reception and telephone number detection signal from the reception and telephone number detecting circuit 160, a read-out/write-in control circuit 102 is actuated to write the decoded telephone number data into the memory 101. Further, the read-out/write-in control circuit 102 reads out written telephone number data and transmits it to the LCD display circuit 21. The decoded telephone number data are displayed together with time information on the display unit 4. At the same time, the telephone number data read out from the memory 101 are supplied to a coincidence and comparison circuit 103. On the other hand, the reception and telephone number detecting circuit 160 supplies the read-out/write-in control circuit 104 with a detection signal representing that the telephone number information is contained in the reception signal of the modem data. In response to the detection signal, the read- out/write-in control circuit 104 successively reads out from the one-touch memory 105 the telephone number data representing plural telephone numbers which are beforehand stored in the one-touch memory 105 while registered in correspondence with the respective one-touch keys, and transmits these data to the coincidence and comparison circuit 103. A display control circuit 106 generates a driving signal for turning on and off the LEDs 7 which is located near to the one-touch key 5 registered for the coincidence telephone number. In response to the driving signal, one of the LEDs 7 for the corresponding one-touch key of the one-touch key group 22 is turned on and off in accordance with (in synchronism with) the bell signals. The output signal of the coincidence and comparison circuit 103 is supplied to a sound tone switching circuit 250 including a part of the microcomputer 100 and the sound tone switching circuit 25. The sound tone switching circuit 250 receives the output signal of the circuit 103 to alter the sound tone of the second and subsequent bell signals to a sound tone which is different from that of the first bell signal, whereby an user or receiver is made noticed that the call is made by a person who is registered for the one-touch key 5 near to the LED which is turned on and off. In the one-touch memory 105 are successively stored telephone number data corresponding to the respective one-touch keys which have been registered by manipulation of the one-touch keys 5 and the numeral key 3 in the key group 23 containing the one-touch keys and the other keys by the one-touch registering circuit 107. At this time, the read-out/write-in control circuit 104 is controlled by the one-touch registering circuit 107 to perform the write-in operation of the telephone number data into the memory 105. In response to the calling reception, the hand set 2 is lifted up and the hook switch HK is switched on in the communication circuit 180, so that a telephonic communication is allowed to be performed. The example shown in FIG. 4 is designed so that several call cases can be successively stored in the telephone number memory 101. That is, when a call has modem data between bell signals, the read-out/write-in control circuit 102 receives the detection output signal of the detecting circuit 160, and successively writes telephone number data and time data of a permissible number of calls at serial addresses in the memory 101. The user can search a plurality of received calls later with the reception review circuit 108, and the telephone apparatus is equipped with a key switch to perform the searching operation. Upon pushing the key switch for reception review, the reception review circuit 108 is actuated and the read-out/write-in control circuit 102 is driven to successively read out the stored telephone number data of calling sides. The telephone number data thus read out are successively transmitted to the LCD display circuit 21 to display the telephone numbers on the display unit 4. At this time, like the call reception as described above, if the telephone number data of a searched received call is coincident with one of the telephone number data which have been registered as one-touch dials, the LED 7 in the vicinity of the corresponding one-touch key 5 is turned on, whereby the user can identify the name of the searched received call from the name plate 6. This reception review utilizes the fact that the telephone number data are stored in the telephone number memory 101 even when no answering to a call is made in an automatically answering mode, for example. Accordingly, it is effective to a case where a call is made later at the reception side to answer the received calls (hereinafter referred to as "re-call"). That is, when calls from calling sides which have been received and registered in correspondence with the respective one-touch keys are checked on the plate name through the display of the LED by actuating the reception review circuit 108, the user can make an automatic dial call to each of the calling sides by pushing each of the one-touch keys. In a conventional reception review circuit 108, when a recall is required to be made with looking at the display unit, the telephone number to be re-called can be automatically dialed by pushing a send key. However, even when the user can know the telephone number, he cannot know the name of the calling side of the call. On the other hand, in this embodiment the user can easily know the name of the calling side by seeing the name plate. For example, when a calling side is a user's acquaintance who is registered for a one-touch key 5 and the user wants to re-call the acquaintance, the user can easily check the name of the acquaintance with the name-writing area of the name plate in the vicinity of the turned-on LED 7. In this case, the re-call can be made pushing not only the one-touch key 5, but also the send key. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the microcomputer 100 at the call reception time. When a call is received, a first bell sound is produced as a normal sound by ringing the bell 26 (step S1-1). Subsequently, the program goes to a step S1-2 to judge on the basis of demodulated data from the demodulator 16 whether telephone number data are transmitted between first and second bell signals. If the telephone number data are judged to be transmitted, the program goes from the step S1-2 to a step S1-3, at which the microcomputer 100 decodes the demodulated data. Subsequently, the decoded telephone number data are stored in the telephone number data at a step S1-4. Next, the program goes to a step S1-5 to judge whether the same telephone number data as the received telephone number stored in the memory 101 exists in the telephone number data stored in the one-touch memory 105. If no same telephone number data exists, the program goes from the step S1-5 to a step S1-6 to produce normal bell sound in response to the second and subsequent bell signals by ringing the bell 26. At a next step S1-7, the hand set is lifted up and it is judged whether the off-hook is performed. If it is judged at a step S1-8 whether the bell signals are finished in a state where no off-hook is performed, the program goes to a step S1-9 at which the microcomputer 100 is shifted to a routine for a stand-by state, idle state. If it is judged at the step S1-8 that the bell signals are not finished, the program returns to the step S1-6 to continue ringing the bell as normal sound. If it is detected at the step S1-7 that the off-hook is made, the program goes to a step S1-13 at which the microcomputer 100 is shifted to a telephonic communication routine. If no telephone number data are detected at the steps S1-2, the program jumps to the step S1-6 to carry out the above step. If it is judged at the step S1-5 that any coincident telephone number data exists between the telephone number data registered in the one-touch memory 105 and the received telephone number data, the program goes from the step S1-5 to the step S1- 10, at which the sound tone switching circuit 25 is controlled to alter the sound tone of the second and subsequent bell signals. At the same time, the LED 7 located near to the one-touch key 5 corresponding to the telephone number data in the one-touch memory 105, which is coincident with the detected telephone number data, is turned on and off in accordance with the bell sound. The user can identify the calling side from the name-writing area of the name plate by seeing the turn on-and-off of the LED 7. Subsequently to the step S1-10, the program goes to a step S1-11, at which a call reception is made and it is judged whether the off-hook is made. If the off-hook is judged, the program goes from the step S1-11 to a step S1-13 to start the telephonic communication routine. If it is judged at the step S1-11 that the off-hook is not made, the program goes to a step S1-12 to judge whether the bell signals are finished. If the bell signals are not finished, the program returns to the step S1-10 to continue the bell sound having its sound tone altered and continue to turn on and off the LED 7. If it is judged at the step S1-12 that the bell signals are finished, the program goes to the step S1-9 to shift to the idle routine. Next, the flowchart for the reception review will be described with reference to FIG. 6. When a reception review key (not shown) is pushed, this routine is started. At a step S2-1, the address of the telephone number memory 101 is initialized to a head one. Subsequently, the program goes to a step S2-2 to read out telephone number data registered at a first address of the memory 101. Thereafter, the program goes to a step S2-3 to display the read-out telephone number data on the display unit 4. The program further goes to a step S2-4 to compare the read- out telephone number data with the telephone number data stored in the one-touch memory 105 and judge whether the same telephone number data exists in the telephone number data of the one-touch dials. If the same telephone number exists, the program goes from the step S2-4 to a step S2-5 to turn on the LED 7 for the one- touch key 5 for which the telephone number data is registered. Subsequently, it is judged at a step S2-6 whether the turn- on state of the LED 7 is continued for two seconds, for example. If two seconds elapse, the program goes to a step S2-7 to turn out the LED 7, and then goes to a step S2-8. If it is judged at the step S2-4 that no same telephone number exists in the one-touch memory 105, the program goes from the step S2-4 to the step S2-8. At the step S2-8, it is judged whether all stored telephone number data have been read out from the telephone number memory 101. If all the telephone number data have not yet been read out, a next address is indicated at a step S2-9, and then the program returns to the step S2-2 to repeat the same operation as described above. If it is judged at the step S2-8 that all the telephone number data have been read out, the reception review routine is ended. In the above example, when the same telephone number data as a calling side is registered in correspondence with the one-touch key, the LED 7 near to the name plate 6 is turned out, whereby the user can identify the calling side. In place of the above arrangement, it may be adopted that the LEDs 7 are provided inside of the respective one-touch keys 5 and an operation unit of each one-touch key 5 is illuminated from the back side thereof to enable the user to identify a calling side. Likewise, it may be also adopted that the LED are provided at the back side of the name plate, and the name plate is illuminated to enable the user to identify a calling side. Further, it may be adopted that the LEDs are provided inside of the respective one-touch keys, and the key itself is lighted. In addition to or in place of a manner that a calling side is identified by turning on or turning out one of the LEDs 7 for indication, the name of a calling side may be sounded with voice. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the telephone apparatus according to the present invention in which the name of a call side is sounded with voice in addition to the display of the LED 7. The same elements as the above example are represented by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof is omitted. The embodiment is newly provided with a audio memory 30. When telephone number data are registered by the one-touch keys 5, the names of calling sides corresponding telephone number data are registered as audio data. This operation is performed by pushing the one-touch keys 5 to input the telephone number data, and at the same time by inputting the names of the call sides with voice using a microphone unit 33. The output signal of the microphone unit 33 is converted to digital signals by an A/D converter 34, and stored into the audio memory 30. The read-out/write-in control circuit 110 is used to control the audio memory 30. The control circuit 110 is controlled to set the audio memory 30 to a data-writable state at the same time when the telephone number data are registered into the one-touch memory 105 by the one-touch registering circuit 102, whereby the audio data of the names of the call sides can be performed by the user. At the call reception time, the telephone number data are detected and decoded. If the received telephone number data is coincident with one of the telephone number data registered in the one-touch memory 105, the read-out/write-in control circuit 10 is actuated. The audio memory 30 is set to a data read-out state by the control circuit 110, and the audio data of the name of a call side which is registered in correspondence with the coincident telephone number data. The read-out audio data are supplied through a D/A converter 31 to a speaker unit 32 to reproduce the name of the call side with voice. At this time, the second and subsequent bell sounds are stopped to enable the user to easily hear the sound from the speaker unit 32. In order to perform this operation, the output signal of the coincidence and comparison circuit 103 is supplied to a bell stop control circuit, whereby the bell stop control circuit is controlled to stop the bell sound of the bell circuit, etc. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for the embodiment when the name of a call side is sounded with voice. In this embodiment, steps S1-21 and 22 are substituted for the step S1-10 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5. The other steps are similar to those of FIG. 5. That is, in the embodiment, when the telephone number data stored in the one-touch memory 105 contains telephone number data which is coincident with the received telephone number data, the program jumps from the step S1-5 to the step S1-21 to turn on and off the LED 7 near to the one-touch key 5 for the coincident telephone number. Thereafter, the program goes to the step S1-22 to stop the second and subsequent ringing operations (bell sound) of the bell, and then to read out the audio data for the name of the call side corresponding to the one-touch key and reproduce the data by the speaker unit 32. The program goes from the step S1-22 to the step S1-11. For example, a voice like "CALL FROM JOHN ... CALL FROM JOHN ..." is announced from the speaker unit 32. Through this voice, the user can identify the calling side without looking at the display panel screen of the telephone apparatus by the voice from the speaker unit 32. The microphone unit 33 and the speaker unit 32 which serve as audio input means for registering the audio data such as voice into the audio memory may be arranged in the same way as a microphone 8 and a speaker 9 shown in FIG. 2. This arrangement is an example, and other arrangements may be adopted. In order to enable the user to identify a calling side of telephone number data which is registered as a one-touch dial, only voice may be used without the LED 7.

Claims: A telephone apparatus comprising: decode means (160) for detecting information on the telephone number of a calling side transmitted through a telephone line and decoding the telephone number information; memory means (105) in which telephone number data of calling sides are stored in correspondence with plural respective operation keys (5); electro-acoustic transducing means (32); and comparison means (103) for reading out the telephone number data from said memory means (105) and comparing the read-out telephone number data with the telephone number data decoded by said decode means (160) when a call is received through the telephone line and the telephone number information of the calling side is detected; characterized by further comprising: recording and reproducing means (30, 31, 32, 33, 34) for recording and reproducing as audio data names of call sides corresponding to the telephone number data stored in said memory means (105) in correspondence with each of said plural operation keys (5); and control means (110) for controlling said recording and reproducing means (30, 31, 32, 33, 34) so that when said comparison means (103) detects any coincidence between the telephone number data stored in said memory means (105) and the telephone number data decoded by said decode means (160), the audio data for the name of the calling side corresponding to the coincidence-detected telephone number data is reproduced and output to said electro-acoustic transducing means (32). A telephone apparatus according to claim 1, said apparatus further comprises a name-writing area (6) in which names of call sides corresponding to the telephone number data stored in said memory means (105) can be written in correspondence with said operation keys (5), indicating means (7, 22) for indicating each of name-written portions of the call sides which are written in said name-writing area (6), and driving means (106) for driving said indicating means (7, 22) so that when said comparison means (103) detects any coincidence between the telephone number data stored in said memory means (105) and the telephone number data decoded by said decode means (160), the name of the calling side corresponding to the coincidence-detected telephone number data is indicated. A telephone apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said indication means (7, 22) is designed to indicate each of the operation portions of said plural operation keys (5) so that when said comparison means (103) detects the same telephone number data, the operation portion of the operation key (5) corresponding to the detected telephone number data is indicated. A telephone apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said indication means (7, 22) comprises illumination means (7, 22) for individually illuminating each of the name-written portions written in said name-writing area (6) in correspondence with said respective operation keys (5) from a back side thereof, and when said comparison means (103) detects the same telephone number data, the name-written portion corresponding to the detected telephone number data is illuminated by said illumination means (7, 22). A telephone apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, said apparatus further comprises bell stop means ( 35) for stopping bell sound on the basis of the comparison result. A telephone apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said memory means (105) in which telephone number data of call sides are respectively stored in correspondence with plural operation keys comprises a first memory (105); and said recording and reproducing means (30, 31, 32, 33, 34) comprises a second memory (30) in which audio data of names of the call sides are respectively stored in correspondence with said plural operation keys (5). A telephone apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a further memory (101) for storing the telephone number data decoded by said decode means (160), and wherein said comparison means (103) comprises comparison and coincidence circuit (103) for reading out the telephone number data from said further memory (101) and the telephone number data from said memory means (105) and comparing these data to detect whether any coincident telephone number data exists between these data when receiving a search instruction. A telephone apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said further memory (101) is for successively storing telephone number data decoded by said decode means (160) and corresponding time data of a plurality of received calls, said apparatus further comprising: a reception review circuit (108), for searching said plurality of received calls, actuated by pushing a key switch for driving a read-out/write-in control circuit (102) to successively read out the stored telephone number data of calling sides, said telephone number data thus read out being successively transmitted to an LCD display circuit (21) to display the telephone number on a display unit (4). A telephone apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said electro-acoustic transducing means is a speaker unit (32).

Inventors: MIYAMOTO HIROSHI, MIYAMOTO, HIROSHI, MIYAMOTO, HIROSHI, C/O SONY CORPORATION
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1994
Main classification: H04M1
IPC codes: H04M1, H04W68